26th - 28th October 2021

Thursday, 28th October: The spell of mild and windy conditions continues, with a moderate southerly pushing through lots of heavy cloud...........

Selsey Bill: There was a reasonable selection again this morning, including Red-throated and Great Northern Divers, Arctic Skua, Bonxie and a few auks, all going west. Full log below. (AH/P&LH/SR/GSh)

(0745-0930hrs) (SSW, F6)

Great Northern Diver - 1W

Red-throated Diver - 2W

Great Crested Grebe - 1W

Gannet - 2E, 49W

Shag - 1W

Common Scoter - 7W

Red-breasted Merganser - 4W

Turnstone - 9W, 28 present

Great Skua - 1W

Arctic Skua - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 41W

Common Gull - 2W

Kittiwake - 2W

Guillemot - 1os

Razorbill - 62W, 12os

auk sp - 42W

Pied Wagtail - 3E

Linnet - 26W

(1330-1500hrs) (P&LH)

Gannet - 6W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2E, 1W

Arctic Skua - 2W

Mediterranean Gull - 5W

Guillemot - 4os

Razorbill - 1os

Guillemot (above), Razorbill, Red-breasted Mergansers & Gannets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool:  The variety of species on the pool remains largely unchanged, with just c100 Lapwing, c20 Wigeon and c50 Shoveler and Teal present. (AH)

Shovelers on the Ferry (AH)

West Itchenor: There was no sight or sound of the Nuthatch  this morning, with four Bar-tailed Godwits and six Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbour the only birds of note. (IP)

Also, at 0800hrs, three Redwings went over north-east. (PH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pools - The Spoonbill was present again this morning on the reserve, opposite the Stilt Pool, and also, two Golden Plovers went over. (P&LH)

Church Norton: A look along the west side of the harbour produced 15 Great Crested Grebes, c30 Pintail, c200 Wigeon, c100 Teal, c150 Dunlin and a few Grey Plovers and Turnstones, plus a couple of Grey Herons and a handful of Little Egrets.

A pair of Stonechats were along the path, with two Reed Buntings and a handful of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits going over, whilst two Jays were the only birds around the churchyard/hide area. (AH)

Stonechat (above), Jay, Meadow Pipit, Pintails & Wigeon and Teal at Church Norton (AH)

Wednesday, 27th October: Another mild, though blustery and mainly overcast morning, with the wind still from the west.....

Selsey Bill: There was a bit of westward movement this morning, including an Arctic Skua, three Bonxies (with another east), nine Kittiwakes and a slight, but steady, stream of auks. Full log below. (AH/SR)

(0745-0915hrs) SW, F6)

Gannet - 11E, 15W

Red-breasted Merganser - 2W

Great Skua - 1E, 3W

Arctic Skua - 1W

Mediterranean Gull - 1E, 18W

Common Gull - 4W

Kittiwake - 9W

Guillemot - 2W, 1os

Razorbill - 31W, 1os

auk sp - 2E, 67W

Pied Wagtail - 7W

Linnet - 23W

Goldfinch - 20

Bonxie (above), Arctic Skua, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Red-breasted Merganser & Common Gull at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool:  There were c150 Lapwings on the pool, but otherwise just a handful of Wigeon and c50 Teal and Shovelers, with a couple of Skylarks over the field. (AH)

Lapwings (above) & Teal and Shovelers at the Ferry (AH)

West Itchenor: A Nuthatch was calling again around Park Copse/Chalkdock this morning. (PH)

Medmerry: Stilt Pools - A Spoonbill was present this morning on the Stilt Pool until flushed by a kite-flyer! (M Stevens)

Church Norton: There were very few waders in the harbour beyond 50+ Redshanks, with just a few Dunlin, Grey Plovers and Turnstones among them, with more of the latter three species, plus a Knot and a few Mediterranean Gulls, along the beach.

The bushes were equally quiet, with just a couple of Chiffchaffs seen, though a visiting birder reported a Firecrest, too. (AH)

Knot and Turnstones (above) & Grey Plovers and Dunlin at Church Norton (AH)

Tuesday, 26th October: Another mild, though blustery and overcast morning, with the wind still from the west.....

Editorial: if you think it's been a slow autumn - especially lately - you're right, as this set of stats from our very own Statto (IP) indicates....."There have been no additions to the year list in the last 38 days, when I last updated the figures - a true bit of SCAD for you (= South Coast Autumn Doldrums). Indeed, there has never been a 'no October additions' in the Blog era, with the least number being four.....this October is also five birds lower currently than 2016 which was the only time we failed to reach 150 species in the current month!
Also of the departing Autumn migrants that are tracked, no less than seven species departed on their earliest date this century (51 species tracked, 22 years being monitored). Curlew Sandpiper was 13 days earlier than ever recorded before !!! Little Tern was ten days earlier and the previous earliest date was just last year (is this a trend?)."
 Mmmm, interesting isn't it?

Also on the stats theme, plus the recent input from the early generation of 1960's Selsey observers, it has become apparent some of our info pages need updating! This is particularly true of the bird checklist and the history of the Bill; work is underway to correct this in due course. (Eds/OM)

Selsey Bill: There was little on the move, save nine Brent Geese and three Little Egrets west, but the morning was enlivened by a Bonxie and an Arctic Skua, two Guillemots and eight Razorbills lingering on the sea.

The Bonxie appeared to crash land on an immature Herring Gull on the water and proceed to drown it before feasting on it, as they drifted east. Full log below. (SR/AH/IP)

(0750-0905hrs) (W, F5)

Gannet - 6W

Little Egret - 3W

Brent Goose - 9W

Common Scoter - 1W

Red-breasted Merganser - 1W

Turnstone - 18

Great Skua -1os

Arctic Skua - 1os

Black-headed Gull - 2000os

Mediterranean Gull - 20os

Common Gull - 2os

Kittiwake - 6W

Guillemot - 2os

Razorbill - 8os

auk sp - 2E

Rock Pipit - 2

Meadow Pipit - 1

Pied Wagtail - 10W

Bonxie (above), Arctic Skua, Guillemot, Razorbills, Red-breasted Merganser, Rock Pipit & Little Egrets at the Bill (AH)

Ferry Pool:  There were just the usual mix of species this morning, including c40 Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits, eight Wigeon, c50 Shovelers and c80 Teal.

Also, two Cattle Egrets were among the cows in the fields behind and three Jays went over the channel opposite, where there was a Little Grebe, too. (AH)

Wigeon and Teal (above) & Little Grebe around the Ferry (AH)

This evening there were ten Avocets on the pool, whilst a Sparrowhawk and seven Brent Geese went over. (AH)

Avocets on the Ferry (AH)

Church Norton: Around the hide area this morning were a Firecrest, a male Blackcap, two Chiffchaffs, two Jays and a Chaffinch, whilst along the beach were two Cetti’s Warblers in each of the Severals reedbeds, two Jays, and a pair of Stonechats.

Also, in the area around the southern end of Grange Lane were six Chiffchaffs, a Sparrowhawk, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Red-legged Partridges. (CRJ)

Stonechat (above), abandoned yacht & autumn leaves at Church Norton (CRJ)

Marsh Farm, Sidlesham: It was very quiet this morning, with 30+ Cattle Egrets in the fields around the buildings the only thing of note, with just an handful of Skylarks and Linnets over the fields in Church Farm Lane and literally nothing in the hedges or the churchyard. (AH)

Cattle Egrets at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham (AH)

Chichester Canal: There were still two family groups on the canal - a Little Grebe with two juveniles and a pair of Coot with a begging youngster in tow, whilst two flocks of chattering Long-tailed Tits were in the hedges along with three Chiffchaffs, a Stonechat, a Song Thrush and a Grey Heron, with a calling Skylark and four Pied Wagtails overhead. (SR)

Little Grebe on Chichester Canal (SR)